is a provider of
Internet Media delivery software and services based in
Seattle ,
United States . The company is best known for the creation of
RealAudio , a compressed audio format,
RealVideo , a compressed video format,
RealPlayer , and for its leadership in the field of
Streaming Media .
RealMedia audio
Streaming files can contain
RealAudio and
RealVideo streams, and several other formats like SMIL.
Helix is their open source media framework. The code is released under various licenses, like the
RealNetworks Public Source License starting in 2003 and the
GPL in 2004. Not all of the source code is licensed under the GPL license, in particular the codecs.
In August
2003 , Real acquired Listen.com's ''Rhapsody'' music service, and renamed it ''
RealRhapsody ''. It offers streaming music downloads for a monthly fee. In January
2004 , Real announced that they are creating
RealPlayer Music Store , featuring
DRM -protected music in the
AAC file format. After some initial tries to push their own DRM scheme (named ''Helix DRM'') onto all device manufacturers with the
Creative Zen Xtra as the only existing compliant device, they sparked controversy by introducing a technology called
Harmony that allowed their music to play on
IPods as well as
Microsoft Windows Media Audio DRM-equipped devices using a "wrapper" that would convert Helix DRM into the two other target DRM schemes. In iPod's case, the "technology" was a hacked version of its firmware that allowed iPod to play Rhapsody music. Real defended this move for "compatibility purposes". However, this hacked firmware has caused problems with iPods, with the majority of the customer service calls going to Apple.
RealNetworks (then known as ) was founded by ex-
Microsoft executive
Rob Glaser in 1993. The original goal of the company was to provide a distribution channel for politically
Progressive content. It quickly evolved into a technology venture to leverage the
Internet as an alternative distribution medium for audio broadcasts.
Progressive Networks became
RealNetworks in September 1997.
Company timeline:
- November 1993: Progressive Networks formed
- April 1995: RealAudio 1.0 released (finalized June 1995)
- August 1995: First live broadcast of a baseball game over the Internet between the Seattle Mariners and the New York Yankees
- October 1995: RealAudio 2.0 debuts (finalized April 1996)
- September 1996: RealAudio 3.0 launches, with debut of Sheryl Crow 's single "If It Makes You Happy"
- October 1996: RTSP standardization initiative launched with Netscape Communications Corporation
- February 1997: RealVideo debuts as part of RealPlayer 4.0 (finalized June 1997)
- July 1997: Broad technology and investment relationship between Progressive Networks and Microsoft
- September 1997: RealSystem 5.0 debuts, adding support for Macromedia Flash
- September 1997: Progressive Networks changes name to "RealNetworks", and files with the U.S. Securities And Exchange Commission to become a publicly traded company
- November 1997: Initial Public Offering of shares from RealNetworks (RNWK).
- March 1998: RealNetworks acquires software maker Vivo
- April 1998: RealSystem G2 debuts. G2 was a complete rearchitecture of RealSystem, allowing development of plugins at all levels of the system. G2 was the first release to support RTSP , SMIL , GIF , JPEG , RealPix , and RealText .
- July 1998: Rob Glaser testifies before the United States Senate regarding competitive practices of Microsoft
- April 1999: RealNetworks acquires software maker Xing Technology
- May 1999: RealJukebox 1.0 launched
- November 1999: RealPlayer 7 launched, with Take5 daily programming service and MP3 support
- May 2000: RealSystem 8 debuts, with RealVideo 8
- July 2001: RealNetworks reduces staff by 15%
- September 2001: RealOne Platform launched, including new subscription service
- January 2002: RealOne subscription service passes 500,000 subscribers
- April 2002: RealVideo 9 released
- July 2002: Helix initiative launched, along with Helix Universal Server. Initiative includes plan to release substantial parts of proprietary technologies under an Open Source licence. RealNetworks also announced partnership with Xiph.org to support the Free Software Ogg Vorbis audio codec.
- August 2002: RealNetworks reduces staff by 11%
- October 2002: Helix DNA Client source code released under open source license
- December 2002: Helix DNA Producer source code released under open source license
- January 2003: Helix DNA Server source code released under open source license
- August 2003: RealNetworks acquires Listen.com's Rhapsody music service and renames it RealRhapsody
- January 2004: RealNetworks announce RealPlayer Music Store as a response to ITunes Music Store
- July 2004: RealNetworks Reverse-engineer s Apple Computer 's FairPlay code, allowing songs from their online store to be played on an IPod . Starts a website at www.musicfreedomofchoice.org petitioning Apple to remove the lock-out from their products, but then removes the petition when many of the signers complain about RealNetworks' similar policies.
- October 2005: RealNetworks and Microsoft settle lawsuit filed by Real in December 2004, which accused Microsoft of illegally leveraging its Windows monopoly to win customers in the digital-music business. Real receives $460 million to settle antitrust claims and another $301 million in cash and services to promote and distribute Rhapsody .
- January 2006: RealNetworks provides unlimited downloadable movies through its co-branded Starz service with a 14 day free trial to encourage consumers.
- March 2006: RealNetworks announces that Cingular Video, Cingular Wireless, on-demand video services for mobile phones is powered by RealNetworks Helix media delivery and playback platform. Included in the announcement is reference to 80 other wireless carriers and 60 million handsets using Helix.
